Your idea doesn’t suck: How to foster a creative team culture!
How to get your concept through the first line of defence and bring your team along for the ride 🎢
by Brendan Shelper
Credits ©
Artwork – Sofia Silva
Creating new ideas is a vital part of any agency’s growth and innovation. But let’s be honest, the path from an idea’s birth to its realisation is full of hurdles. The biggest challenge? Overcoming the scepticism it faces. To truly nurture and grow new concepts, teams and clients need to jump in, suspend their doubts, and believe in what could be. It’s truly about building belief and fostering collaboration.
Navigating the sea of doubt
One of the biggest hurdles we face as a creative agency is steering through the doubt that often clouds new ideas. It’s critical when presenting fresh, innovative concepts to connect with clients and decision-makers who really take the time to see the idea’s worth. Rush decisions, usually from not getting it, can kill what could have been a breakthrough idea.
The essence of our work involves not just creating but also effectively communicating our ideas, ensuring they are given the thoughtful consideration they deserve. It’s about finding those who are willing to pause, reflect, and delve deeper into the potential of an idea, rather than reacting based on surface-level impressions. This process is vital in ensuring that innovative ideas are not just heard but truly understood and appreciated for their potential to make a significant impact.
Suspending disbelief doesn’t mean ignoring the potential flaws or challenges an idea might face. Rather, it’s about giving the idea space to breathe and grow without being stifled by premature criticism. It’s about creating an environment where the question isn’t “Why?” but “Why not?” and “How can we make this work?”
Fostering a creative team culture
I’m the worst at this, not because I don’t value others’ ideas, but because we’re always under time pressure to deliver and the fast-track solution is to go with something that is easily if not instantly understood. So, when a new idea is presented, the instinctive reaction is often to point out reasons it might not work. This scepticism can be a significant barrier to innovation. Instead, encouraging a mindset where team members explore solutions to potential problems fosters a more productive and creative atmosphere. It shifts the focus from why an idea won’t work to how it can be improved and refined.
Investing in the possibility of an idea means looking beyond immediate obstacles and envisioning the potential impact it could have. It’s about recognising that every great achievement starts with a single, sometimes fragile, concept that needs nurturing and support to grow.
For organisations looking to lead in innovation, fostering a culture where ideas are met with curiosity and a willingness to explore is key. It’s about building a team that’s not just quick to offer opinions or doubts but is eager to dive into the possibilities and work collaboratively towards solutions. This approach doesn’t just benefit the ideas themselves but also contributes to a more engaged and innovative team dynamic and can ultimately rub off on every future pitch you have with your clients.
